Radiological Evaluation of Brain and Skull Tumors Using Computed Tomography
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65693/irss.2026.v7i2.175Keywords:
Brain tumors, Skull neoplasms, CT imaging, Resource-limited settings, Neuro-oncologyAbstract
Background: Brain and skull tumors are major causes of neurological morbidity. In resource-limited settings like Yemen, where MRI is often unavailable, CT remains the primary diagnostic tool. However, systematic data on CT characteristics of these tumors in the Yemeni population are lacking. This study evaluates the demographic and multi-parametric CT features of brain and skull tumors at the National Oncology Center, Sana'a, Yemen.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2025 to February 2026, including 52 consecutive patients (age 2–75 years) with confirmed brain or skull tumors who underwent contrast-enhanced CT. Demographic data, tumor characteristics, and CT features (density, enhancement, necrosis, calcification, edema, mass effect) were analyzed using SPSS version 23.0, with significance set at p < 0.05.
Results: Females predominated (65.4%). Metastatic tumors were most frequent (46.2%), followed by primary CNS tumors (40.4%); breast cancer was the leading primary source (17.3%). The cerebral region was the most common location (48.1%). Multiple lesions were significantly more frequent in metastases (54.2%) than primary tumors (28.6%) (p=0.002). Significant correlations included paraganglioma with iso-density (r=0.68) and calcification (r=0.82); orbital tumors with iso-density (r=0.72); and metastases with necrosis (r=0.45). Key co-occurrence patterns were strong enhancement with necrosis in metastases (p=0.001) and hyperdensity with calcification in meningiomas (p=0.004).
Conclusion: CT effectively characterizes brain and skull tumors in resource-limited settings. Distinct CT feature patterns and their statistical associations provide a basis for a preliminary diagnostic algorithm, enhancing early diagnosis and clinical decision-making where advanced imaging or histopathology is unavailable.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Abrar Adel Mohammed Al-Sharji، Doaa Hussein Ahmed Al-Okad، Najla Najib Ahmed Al-Hazmi، Rudaina Abdul Wahid Al-Sheikh، Suad Mohammed Qasim Al-Qasimi، Samat Saleh Mohammed Al-Dhabri، Walaa Ahmed Mohammed Al-Ghazali، Younes Abdullah Mohamed Al Qadri، Dr.Ibrahim Al-Hamadi (المؤلف)
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